Editing Russia (section)

==== Restrictions on Religion ====
''Expanded entries - Yevsektsia, Arrest and Liberation of the Rebbe Rayatz, Arrest of Chassidim in 5698''

In 5677 (1917), the February Revolution broke out in Russia, overthrowing the Tsar's rule. A provisional government was established in place of the Tsarist regime until a democratic government could be formed. With the fall of the Tsar's regime, all restrictions on Jews in Russia were abolished. The provisional government wanted to convene a governmental assembly of rabbis to provide recommendations to the new authority on how to regulate the status of Jews in the country. The Rebbe Rashab worked to ensure that as many Orthodox rabbis as possible would participate in the assembly, but due to the October Revolution in which the Communists came to power, the conference was canceled.

After the second revolution, a bloody civil war ensued between the Bolsheviks and their opponents, lasting about two years. During the war, each side accused the Jews of collaborating with the other side. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed during this period. At that time, the Rebbe Rashab worked in every possible way to help Jewish refugees from the battles. At the end of the war, Russia united 14 other countries with Communist ideology under it, and together they were called the Soviet Union.

Upon its establishment, the Communist regime began imposing restrictions on the spread of Judaism in Russia. It became illegal to provide Jewish education to more than three children together, and compulsory education in government schools was imposed. Synagogues and mikvaos were closed by the authorities, and kosher slaughter was prohibited. To enforce these laws, the G.P.U. (Russia's secret police) established the Yevsektsia (Jewish Section), composed of Jews who had strayed from the path and tried in every way to persecute religious institutions. They closed mikvaos, locked synagogues, and spied on all religious institutions in order to arrest the Chassidim who operated religious services. Those who were arrested were sentenced to many years of exile in Siberia with hard labor, and those considered more "dangerous" were executed.

The Rebbe Rayatz sent emissaries to every possible location to open underground "cheders" with Jewish education. He also warned all Soviet Jews not to send their children to government schools due to the enormous spiritual danger involved, despite the risk of severe imprisonment and exile imposed by the authorities on those who violated the law. He also opened a network of underground yeshivas in many cities across the Soviet Union. During that period, the "Iron Curtain" was imposed, preventing any possibility of leaving the Soviet Union.

As a result of his activities, the Rebbe Rayatz was arrested on 15 Sivan 5687 (1927) and sentenced to death. Eventually, the sentence was commuted to three years of exile in Kostroma, and ultimately he was released on 12 Tammuz. This eventually led to his expulsion from Russia at the beginning of 5688 (1928).

On his first day in Riga, the Rebbe Rayatz established a committee to help Russian Jews from outside by sending money, food, and means to maintain Judaism. Within Russia, several Chassidim were appointed to manage the network of underground Talmud Torahs and Tomchei Tmimim yeshivas. The Rayatz also worked to organize shipments of matzos for Pesach and the four species for Sukkos.

In 5695 (1935), the NKVD conducted a wave of arrests in Moscow and Rostov of key figures involved in spreading Judaism. All were sentenced to three years of exile in Kazakhstan. Most survived the exile except for R. Yaakov of Skalik, whose whereabouts were lost. During the following years (5695-5699/1935-1939), there were many waves of arrests, culminating in the wave of arrests in 5698 (1938) that took place in Leningrad, in which about twenty-five Chassidim were arrested in one night, later called "the night of the ten martyrs of the kingdom." Twelve of them were executed, and the rest were sent to Siberia for many years. The families of those murdered did not know for a long time about the fate of their loved ones because they were told that they had also been exiled, and only years later were they told the bitter truth. On 9 Nissan 5699 (1939), Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe's father, was arrested. As a result of the arrests, many Chassidim were forced to flee from the authorities and go underground.